Registration Policy

After you register your domain name and build your online presence, it is important for you to understand how to protect it.

Your domain name from Public Interest Registry also has value-both in monetary terms and in terms of the message you spend by having an online identity. You would not give away your domain name to a group or an individual who promotes products and services that are counter to your mission, nor are you likely to sell your .org domain name to businesses that sell products or services you deem inappropriate. Public Interest Registry wants to help make sure your domain name does not inadvertently fall into the wrong hands.

Registering recently expired domains have resulted in a number of cases where expired domain names are registered and utilized in a fashion that is counter to the mission and intention of the original owner. In one extreme case, the Web site of a rape crisis center was converted to a hyperlink haven for sex toys and subscriber-based pornographic sites. Every day, thousands of domain names become available because domain holders, also known as registrants, have allowed them to expire, or were unaware that the domain names were up for renewal. And every day, those same domain names become vulnerable to companies and individuals who can exploit them for economic gain, without regard for their actual use or meaning. The process of obtaining expired domain names has become sophisticated, automated, and increasingly popular. And the consequences to the original domain holders can be serious.

Your domain name is a valued and trusted resource. And the more well-traveled your site, the more attractive you domain name becomes. Public Interest Registry believes the best way to protect your domain name is to take proactive and preventive measures.